Alaska News Nightly: February 23, 2010

Photo provided by Vladilen Kavry.

Russian hunters are visiting Alaska to share their stories with Native Alaskans and biologists. Among their topics: how to hunt and maintain a healthy population of walruses.

Individual news stories are posted in the Alaska News category and you can subscribe to APRN’s news feeds via email, podcast and RSS.

Download Audio (MP3)


EPA Releases Plans for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC
The Environmental Protection Agency has laid out its timeline for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson shared her plans on Monday in a letter to lawmakers.

Cab Fares Dropping in Bethel
Shane Iverson, KYUK – Bethel
Cab fares in Bethel are dropping for the first time in years. The Western Alaska City has the highest ratio of cabs to residents in the Nation.  Now a race to bargain basement prices is threatening to push some cabbies out of the business, while customers welcome the low rates.

Guttenberg Wants to Clarify Travel Expenses for Executive Travel
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
State Representative David Guttenberg, a Democrat from Fairbanks, has introduced a bill that would spell out a state policy on executive travel.  Guttenberg’s bill, HB 353, amends the executive branch ethics act by adding language that specifically requires the governor or lieutenant governor to reimburse the state for the cost of family members travelling with them on official business

Russian Hunters Share Their Stories with Alaska Natives and Biologists
Annie Feidt, APRN – Juneau
Native hunters from Chukotka, in Russia’s far east, are visiting Alaska this month to share their experiences with Alaska Natives and biologists. The Russians have seen dramatic changes in the last decade due to global warming and they’re hoping the exchange will help conserve marine mammal populations.

Guns in National Parks Now OK
Ben Stanton, KDLL – Kenai
A new federal law went into effect Monday that will allow firearm possession in national parks.  The law will mean some differences to some federally managed land, but in many cases Alaska’s parks already had some exceptions to firearms.

State May Sue Engine Manufacturer
Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO – Juneau
The state of Alaska may sue the manufacturer of the engines in the fast ferries Fairweather and Chenega.

Officials Investigating Oily Sheen Near Juneau
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
In 1952, a ship loaded with bunker C oil sank off Lena Point near Juneau.  The vessel has remained submerged since then, but more recently, evidence of an oily sheen has led state and federal officials to investigate.  Dive operations last week indicate freestanding oil on the vessel, but the amount or origin of the product is still unknown.

Previous articleAlaska Radio Reader Rambler: Historic Properties of Anchorage
Next articleOfficials Investigating Oily Sheen Near Juneau